Garment



9, 1952 M. A. KELSALL 2,620,476 I GARMENT Filed June 29, 19 51 nfmljllll IN VEN TOR.

QZAfGAK/Ff l4. Kas u L W d w ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to Womens garments and more particularly to a combination apron and dress.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a pair of garments of similar shape which may be individually employed as aprons, or employed together to form a dress or the like.

Other objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from a consideration of the description to follow, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a developed side elevation of one of the pair of garments, a central portion being broken out;

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the torso of a wearer of the garment of Figure 1, taken on line 2-2, Figure 10;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of the garment of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, Figures 3 and 9;

Figure 5 is a developed elevation, similar to Figure 1, showing the pair of garments conneeted together for use as a dress or the like;

Figure 6 is a section, similar to Figure 2, taken on line 66, Figure '7;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a wearer illustrating the manner in which the garments are worn, a portion of one garment being broken away;

Figure 8 is an enlarged section taken on line 8-8, Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the upper end portion of one of the straps shown in Figures 3 and 4; and

Figure 10 is a rear elevation, similar to Figure 7, showing one of the garments used as an apron or the like.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly Figures 1 to 4, 9 and 10, one of the pair of garments is illustrated as a torso surrounding member I0, provided with shoulder straps H, H! at its upper end. Suitable cooperating garment fastening means I3, M, are provided adjacent the top corners of garment IQ for fastening these corners together. These are illustrated only diagrammatically since any Wellknown fastening means may be employed. such as buttons and button holes, hooks and eyes, resilient male and female snap fasteners, etc., these all being conventional in the art. As best shown in Figures 3, 4 and 9, the upper ends of the shoulder straps ll. l2 are folded back upon themselves and secured by stitching IE, or the 2 like, providing loops it through each of which a flexible tie member H, such as a tie string, ribbon or the like, may extend.

When it is desired to employ one of the garments so far described as an apron, a tie member I1 is threaded through each of strap loops [6, as shown in Figure 9, and the central portion of each tied with a knot Ha forming gathers G. The free ends Nb of the two tie members are then tied together at a point adjacent the back of the users neck. When so tied, the upper ends of the straps will terminate approximately centrally along the tops of the users shoulders, that is, along the collarbones. Fasteners l3, I4 are then secured together at the back of the user at a point along the users spinal column, as shown in Figures 2 and 10. As best shown in Figure 10, the garment is so shaped that the upper free edges form a V-shaped opening at the users back and the fasteners are disposed to effect securement at the waistline. It will be apparent that the other of the pair of garments may be similarly employed as an apron.

The straps ll, l2 and Ha, 12a, of the two garments l0, lfla, respectively, are provided with cooperating fastenings means [8, l9, as best shown in Figures 4 and 8. When it is desired to employ the two garments to form a dress, adjacent straps of the respective garments are secured together, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, and opening 20 applied over the users head. The side edges of garment in are wrapped around the users torso, from rear to front, and fasteners l3, l4 secured together along the vertical front centerline of the users torso at the waistline, as best shown in Figures 6 and 7. The side edges of garment I 0a are then wrapped, from front to rear, and fasteners l3a, Ma secured together along the vertical rear centerline of the users torso also at the waistline. When in this position, the rear vertical lap of the vertical edges of garment Illa are free to separate below fasteners l3a, I la, as in a breeze, but any gap will merely disclose a rear portion of garment l0, disposed between garment [0a and the users torso. It will be apparent that therelative positions of the vertical pairs of free edges of the two garments may be transposed so that an exposed pair of vertical free edges are at the front centerline of the user rather than at the rear centerline.

It is to be understood that the general shape of the garments as illustrated in Figures 1 and 5 is exemplary only and the shape may be varied to provide a desired fit on the user, as will be understood in the art of tailoring, an example of this being shown in Figure '7. A belt 2|, or similar tie member, may also be employed, if desired, to effect a desired fit about the waistline. Also, elastic material may be incorporated in the material, preferably at the waistline region, to effect a form fit thereat. Such material may be in the form of elastic threads secured to the material in any well-known manner and extending in a direction around the waist. The shoulder straps may be formed integrally with the remainder of the garments or as separate members secur'e'd thereto, as by stitching, and it will be apparent that the garments may be constructed from a plurality of pieces of any suitable textile or other flexible garment material. Many modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the exemplary disclosure except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention what claimed as new:

-Wearing apparel comprising; a pair of similar shaped garments each having a pair of shoulder straps with the ends thereoffadapted to be disposed adjacent the tops of the shoulders of a wearer and means for detachably securing adja- 'cent c'orre'sp'onding ends of the "straps together, the straps of one garment adapted to extend forwardly and downwardly over the wearer's shoulders, and the straps of the other garment adapted to extend rearwardly and downwardly over the wearers shoulders, and means for securing the free edges of each garment together, the free edges of one garment disposed substantially along the front vertical center line of the wearers torso and the free edges of the other garment adapted to be disposed substantially along the rear vertical centerline of "the wearers torso, with one garment overlapping the free edges of the other.

MARGARET A. KELSALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

